


Even Evil Has Standards

by NovaWars (kittleimp)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Force Choking, Hux Has No Chill, Kylo Ren Throws A Tantrum, M/M, Mitaka Is Pure, Phasma Knows All
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 04:59:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7561372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittleimp/pseuds/NovaWars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hux is willing to accept many of the stupid things that Kylo Ren has done. Strangling Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka is not one of those things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even Evil Has Standards

**Author's Note:**

> Possible trigger warnings for this fic can be found in the end tags. Only part of this is beta read, so any mistakes made are entirely my own. Please let me know if you see any typos!
> 
> The title comes from [a trope that I've always loved](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvenEvilHasStandards).

As he receives the report of Ren’s latest assault, Hux has to swallow down the burning fury flaring in his chest. The masked moron has made a habit of destroying the ship and attacking the crew. Despite his temper - and Hux’s multiple attempts to report his destructive disobedience to the Supreme Leader - there has been no discipline from Ren’s master. Snoke is the only one with the authority to punish the dark lord. Until now, Hux has simply bottled up his anger and adjusted the budgets to include an increased spending limit for repairs.

This, however, is a step too far.

Many of the Finalizer’s troopers had been thrown against walls or choked within an inch of their life - and beyond, in a few regrettable cases - before word spread that Lord Kylo Ren was to be avoided during his tantrums at all costs.

Even the officers were not safe. Chief petty officer Unamo was thrown to the ground shortly after Ren’s arrival, leaving her wrist badly sprained. Petty officer Thanisson had been briefly strangled only a few weeks before; the bruises were only just beginning to fade to yellow. Both officers managed to recover both physically and emotionally within a matter of days. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka is not so emotionally sturdy.

Mitaka is only in this position because the crew, Hux included, had drawn lots to decide who would deliver the news. Hux’s chest tightened moment the results were announced. Though the lieutenant is a brilliant strategist and a naturally strong leader, he becomes shaken far too easily. Hux learned that such an emotional person will never be capable of performing optimally in the Order. It is his job as the lieutenant’s superior officer to properly correct the problem. Correction, in this case, would mean removing Mitaka from his station and reassigning him to a less important ship or project, which would be painfully similar to a shameful demotion. The thought of it pulls at Hux’s heart in a way he has not experienced since he left his younger siblings - most notably his sister - behind for the academy.

Luckily for Mitaka, the impact of his emotional weakness is not significant enough to warrant correctional orders directly from Supreme Leader Snoke, given his relatively low rank. That, combined with Hux’s unapologetic favoritism, has allowed the lieutenant to remain on the Finalizer. The crew doesn’t seem to mind; Mitaka isn’t competition for higher ranks and is reasonably competent, so why should they? Plus, Mitaka is a friend to everyone, which is a welcome change in the unforgiving environment of the First Order.

When Mitaka returns to the bridge shaking and coughing, half of the present personnel rush to his aid.

It takes some time, but Hux manages to decipher Mitaka’s breathless mutterings well enough to understand the events. Of _course_ Ren would shoot the messenger, or strangle him, as the case may be. Hux watches Mitaka brush shaking fingers over his bruised throat and clenches his fists.

“You two, take him to the medbay,” Hux snaps, pointing to two officers hovering around the traumatized man.

“Yes sir!” they both respond immediately, and begin shifting Mitaka’s weight to their shoulders.

“If anyone needs me, don’t,” Hux adds sharply. “I am going to speak with Lord Ren.”

\---

Hux finds the destroyed console, still smoking and sparking in the wall, and calls a repair team from his datapad with a deep scowl. Ren is nowhere to be found, but Hux doesn’t have time to chase the childish moron through the Finalizer’s sprawling hallways. The tracker placed in Ren’s belt - the same model worn by every member of the First Order’s military - shows that the careless idiot has returned to his private quarters. This would be an annoyance if he were he looking for any other officer, but things with Ren are... different. Notably so.

Knocking on Ren’s door is always accompanied by a certain rush of adrenaline. On an average day, it would have Hux practically vibrating with anticipation, but at the moment is simply fuels the fire in his chest. He has stood by for months as this brat destroyed his prized ship. The crew has spent those same months fearing the demonic wraith that stalks the halls. It must end.

Ren has the gall to _smirk_ when he opens the door.

Hux says nothing as he steps into Ren’s quarters. The room had been a spare officer’s residence, so there is plenty of space inside, but Ren doesn’t waste a moment pressing close to Hux once the door is closed.

“Get back,” Hux grinds out, turning his head to dodge the kiss that was aimed for his lips. “This isn’t a social call.”

Ren takes a few steps back and crosses his arms over his chest. His dark eyebrows have arched up and that alone would be annoying enough without the smirk still twisting his lips. Hux scowls back at him and reflects upon his policy against hitting crewmembers.

“If this is about the console, can’t we just fuck it out?” Ren asks crudely. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“This is about the _officer_ that you _terrorized_ ,” Hux snaps.

“Lieutenant Mitaka?” Ren snorts. “It isn’t my fault he’s so easy to scare. I don’t understand why you haven’t sent him to work on one of the scouting ships already.”

“Lieutenant Mitaka performs his job satisfactorily, unlike you,” Hux replies sharply.

“He will be _fine_ ,” Ren insists, rolling his eyes. “I have already agreed not to permanently damage your officers without permission. So there, the situation is dealt with. Do you want to fuck or not?”

It would be far too easy to shove Ren onto the bed. Hux prefers to be the one with a cock in his ass, but this would be far from the first time they switched roles. Fucking Ren into a sobbing, begging mess would be satisfying, not to mention pleasurable, but therein lies the problem.

“No, I’m going to the medbay to check on Mitaka. They’ll be treating him for shock, as well as the bruising.”

Hux turns to leave without another word, but Ren just can’t seem to help himself.

“Come on, I know you’d love to take out your anger on me,” Ren calls after him with a smirk.

The obnoxious knight has no idea how right he is. Hux turns back and stalks toward the towering ingrate that darkens his halls. His punch is perfectly formed and powerful, but his knuckles still ache when they smash into Ren’s cheekbone and his gloves will be hiding bruises in the days that follow. The pain is worth it to see Ren cry out and stumble back, startled and in pain.

“There is a kind, competent young officer in the medbay right now” Hux hisses venomously through clenched teeth, continuing to advance on Ren. “He is ijured and terrified because of you and your _fucking_ temper, you brainless _beast_.”

“I didn’t-” Ren begins, but Hux sends him stumbling onto his ass with a rough shove before he can finish.

“You most certainly _did_ ,” he seethes.

Hux has been on the receiving end of Ren’s outbursts before. Their relationship, nameless as it may be, does not protect him from Ren’s specific brand of temper tantrums. Between his co-commander’s unchecked violent tendencies and their private activities, Hux spends a fair amount of time on a flat surface with a sore ass and Ren hovering over him. Rarely are their roles so completely reversed.

“You will apologize to Lieutenant Mitaka and you will _mean it_ , or you will suffer consequences that will give you nightmares for years to come. Do you understand me, Ren?” Hux snaps, leaning down to sneer in Ren’s face.

“Y-yes,” Ren replies softly.

“Good.”

Without another word, Hux straightens and turns to the door, this time exiting the room without any interference.

\---

If things had gone his way, Hux would have visited Mitaka in the medbay immediately. He tries to handle the aftermath of Ren’s outbursts personally whenever possible, no matter who the victim is, but Mitaka is something of a special case to him. Of course, as is constant in his life, things don’t go his way. An urgent message on his datapad has him spending his afternoon dealing with a small issue on Starkiller base. On a base as enormous as Starkiller, no small problem is truly small, and even this simple malfunction takes nearly four hours to resolve. Mitaka has long since been discharged by the time he is done.

When Hux trudges wearily into the officers’ mess hall for a late dinner, he raises his eyebrows at the small group of the lower ranking officers huddled around a corner table. In the middle of the crowd is none other than Lieutenant Mitaka himself. Captain Phasma is watching from a few tables away with a cup of cheap, watery caf in her ungloved hand. The metallic gloves sit on the table beside her helmet, which has been removed to reveal her carefully cropped platinum hair.

“What are they gossiping about today?” Hux asks, lowering himself into the seat next to Phasma.

“Lord Ren, though I’m sure that doesn’t come as a surprise,” she replies, raising her light eyebrows at him and taking a sip of her drink.

“I know what he’s done, but I’m curious as to what they’re saying about him,” he explains, glancing back toward the group that is so openly enthralled with the lieutenant’s story.

“You didn’t know?” she asks with a smirk. “Apparently he visited Mitaka in the medbay, mask and all, and actually _apologized_ for attacking him. It’s got everyone more shaken up than the original attack. No one can figure out Ren’s motive.”

“No one except for you,” Hux corrects, meeting his friend’s clear blue eyes with a challenging glare.

Phasma lets out a huff that is the closest thing to a laugh he’s heard from her since the academy, “Yes, no one except for me. You’re lucky that I like you; I’d never keep such juicy gossip a secret otherwise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Possible trigger warning: Hux hits Ren, despite the fact that they're in a(n unnamed) relationship.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
